YAMAHA, BRITNEY SPEARS AND BLUES LAB GO TO CAMP

—Experience Seeks to Educate, Empower Children—

BUENA PARK, CA (November 1, 2002)—The Britney Spears Camp for the Performing Arts recently welcomed 150 boys and girls, ages 11 – 15 from New England, New York, and Washington, DC to a performing arts immersion program in Cape Cod, MA.

One of the Many Britney Camp Instructors

Funded by The Britney Spears Foundation, the ten-day camp partnered with the renowned Blues Lab, offering hands-on skills through classes in improvisational music, acting, drumming, dance/movement, set design/building, with a special emphasis on nourishing what has been called "America's musical heritage"—the blues. In the Blues Lab segment, students formed full bands and learned to play the music that is the foundation of most modern music, from Rock to Hip Hop to Pop.

Yamaha Corporation provided PSRGX76 portable keyboards, RGX121S electric guitars, RBX270 electric basses and a YD drum kit for the camp through The Music Mall, a leading Yamaha music dealer from Lowell, MA.

Founded in 1998, The Sir Charles Blues Lab seeks to create a living society of children, teachers, recording artists, and musicians who can meet anywhere in the world and join together to perform America's music. The organization is also planning to launch an international blues Education movement with the help of performing artists (Ray Charles, Steven Tyler, Mick Jagger, Tom Hanks, Slash, Macy Gray, Flea, Roger Waters, Chuck D, No Doubt, Brian May, Bonnie Raitt) and corporate sponsors (Yamaha, Gibson, Line 6, West LA Music, AOL Time Warner). This year, pop superstar Spears was presented with the Sir Charles Blues Lab's Blues Heart Award for including the Blues Lab as an important and vital part of her Performing Arts Curriculum at Camp Britney.

Campers Explore the Blues

"We're partnering with like-minded community groups across the nation to create inexpensive musical 'safe houses' in schools, camps, and community centers in the face of turmoil and budget cuts," explains Sir Charles. "The Blues Lab exists as a halcyon place where young people of all backgrounds can learn to play and appreciate the blues both as an American cultural treasure and as a stepping stone to the wonders of all music."

In addition to musical instruments, Yamaha provided an AW4416 Digital Audio Workstation for the Camp Britney/Blues Lab. "We used the AW4416 to record all the performances," says Dane Gillibrand, founder and president of Blues Lab. "I learned how to use it in one night, and the fact that it's so easy to learn and use made it possible to record the performances the next day. The workstation did an amazing job—it sounds really good. We mixed and mastered all the performances right to a CD—then burned copies with it. "

Steven Tyler of rock supergroup Aerosmith sang and played harmonica with one Lab during a 40-minute all-blues jam session for the campers. "It's an honor to be able to play with these kids and see their eyes opening wide up, their mouths dropping on the floor, their hearts opening up, their ears opening up, singing this music," said Tyler.

For more information on Yamaha Products, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Pro Audio & Combo Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714) 522-9011; email infostation@yamaha.com; or visit www.yamaha.com.